Why ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Terrifies Me

Five Night’s at Freddy’s terrifies me! I’m not embarrassed to admit it; heck, my seven-year-old cousin even knows and makes fun of me because of it. Despite that, I still willingly subject myself to playing the game whenever possible. What can I say, I’m a sucker for punishment.

Five Night’s at Freddy’s is a jump-scare point and click horror video game created by mastermind Scott Cawthon. Since its initial release in 2014, there have been three sequels: FNAF 2, FNAF 3, and FNAF 4 (we don’t talk about FNAF World). Each has built upon the story established in FNAF and has left gamers with more questions than answers. Like who is the Phone Guy? Which animatronic is responsible for the Bite of ’87? These are things I need to know, Scott!

With the release of the Sister Locationtrailer and the fan game alpha Joy of Creation: Reborn, I thought it prudent to share why FNAF causes me to loose sleep at night. Now, if you haven’t played the game and want to avoid spoilers, stop reading now!

Freaky Animatronics

These aren’t your friendly It’s a Small World animatronics singing about kumbaya and what not. No these are the stuff of nightmares. Throughout the game, they stalk you with the sole purpose of either killing you or stuffing you into your very own animatronic suit. Can you blame me for being wary of them?

Chuck E. Cheese’s

I know I’m not the only one whose made this connection. Although it hasn’t been confirmed by Cawthon, the characters of FNAF seem like parodies of the animatronics used at Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants. My parents tell me that I used to cry whenever the curtain pulled back and these guys started singing. With good reason!

Game Mechanics

The realistic setting that the games encompass is what really makes FNAF so terrifying. A local pizza joint, a child’s bedroom…these are all places that scary events can take place. It’s also smart of Cawthon to change it up in each installment so that the game doesn’t become too predictable.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location will be released in Fall 2016.